WGA East cites residuals in Hello Doggie deal

Agreement reached with 'Daily Show,' 'Colbert' producer

Members of the Writers Guild of America East have ratified successor agreements with Hello Doggie, the production company that produces “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” and “The Stephen Colbert Report.”

The WGA East said Thursday that the agreements significantly improve the formula for calculating residuals paid for basic-cable replays. The guild estimated that residuals payments will increase by about 20% next year despite a reduction in the number of replays.

“It makes a real difference when guild members are actively engaged in negotiations — and when the employer recognizes how integral writing is to the shows’ success,” said WGAE exec director Lowell Peterson, who served as chief negotiator.

The guild said Hello Doggie had already implemented improvements that were part of the WGA’s three-year minimum basic agreement negotiated earlier this year, which included a 2% hike in minimums and a boost in employer contributions to the Producer-Writers Guild of America Pension Plan.

The Hello Doggie deal cover 33 writers and expires in May, 2014, along with the master contract.